Blackpool women among the best in UK for equal pay, but it may not be a good thing

The Best Places in the UK for Working Women study from SmartSurvey reveals that Blackpool is the fourth best place in the UK for women in work where the gender pay gap is 3.1 per cent in women’s favour women’s and 19.6 per cent are employed in management roles. But median pay was found to be just £18,400.

Wandsworth in London was said to be the best place for women,who were paid just 0.6 per cent less than male counterparts but who got £40,002 a year with 22.8 per cent in top roles.

Blackpool-based women in business support group Pink Link said while the survey shows the area’s entrepreneurial spirit it also highlights the area’s economic problems.

Coral Horn said: “Statistically the latest figures on paper look exciting as the survey shows women in Blackpool earn 3.1 per cent more than their male counterparts. Particularly as the overall figure for the UK shows that men earn 16.01 per cent more than women, who make up 46.84 per cent of the workforce.

"In the report, the average annual salary for women in Blackpool is £18.4k compared with the average £47.2k salary in the UK.

"This shows that female employees in Blackpool are facing a significant economic disparity. While this may be due to their employment in sectors which are paying little more than the national minimum wage it is good to see Blackpool Council promoting gender diversity.

“Their workforce is predominantly female and 66% of women earn between £21-37k.

“Much still needs to be done to address the gender pay gap. Women often face a motherhood penalty both financially and in career progression and they predominantly shoulder the burden of childcare and responsibility for elderly relatives.

“Blackpool is a town where the entrepreneurial spirit of women and support for their outstanding work is encouraged and celebrated.

“At Pink Link, we are surrounded by women who show strength, innovation and dogged determination to succeed.

“We have seen an increase in the number of women starting a new business as an economic result of the job losses/redundancies from the pandemic which could affect future statistics of these reports.

"The importance in supporting the growth in female enterprise has been recognised by the Government and we have been working with Boost; Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub to deliver a number of masterclasses to improve skills and boost resilience.

"Later this year, we are looking forward to recognising and rewarding these amazing businesswomen at the 10th Anniversary Enterprise Vision Awards at the iconic Winter Gardens, Blackpool."